


Flash Forward, Flash Back

by Nimaka



Category: Naruto
Genre: Brother-Sister Relationships, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Issues, M/M, Madara is Mito's brother, Madara wants Izuna and Hashi to be happy, Protective Siblings, Time Travel, ah sheet here we go again, the HashiMada isn't the focus either but it's there, the MitoTobi is very minor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2020-05-20 13:21:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19377562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nimaka/pseuds/Nimaka
Summary: The first thing Madara notices is that his hair is red. The next thing he realizes is that he's alive.





	1. Red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually wrote a lot of this a while ago. Decided to complete it, edit a lot, and post it. >.< I read the summary to Flaming Maelstroms but I haven't actually read it... but the idea of turning into an Uzumaki stuck with me and it wouldn't leave my mind! Hope you like it!

His hair was less spiky.

Madara wasn't sure if he liked that. He raked a hand through it again. It was still red, smooth, and silky just like it had looked before he grabbed it.

His hair had changed color before, Madara having watched it turn from black to white twice: once from age and the other from becoming a jinchuriki. But this shade of red was so... bloody, so different, and vaguely familiar.

He ran his hands through it some more.

"Aniki," a voice whined, voice lilting in an eerily similar way to that of a certain man.

It reminded him that he was supposed to be dead.

But here he was, very much alive. He wasn't sure what to make of it. He felt calmer than he had in a very long time. Perhaps death had something to do with it, an emptiness that danced just out of reach in the tresses of his mind. Being able to leave the world without some kind of backup plan, to feel everything fade away and go quiet...

"Quit ignoring me, brother!"

Madara was shaken back and forth by a pair of hands. He blinked.

A smudge of blue diamond on her forehead. Big, expressive eyes. And hair. Red, shockingly bright red hair. And he could never forget that chakra signature.

Then he realized this girl in front of him was Uzumaki Mito. Hashirama's wife, the first jinchuriki. Someone who he knew should've been dead as well.

...And did she just call him her brother?

Madara looked down into the still waters, saw himself as a young redhead in traditional Uzumaki garb, saw Mito's figure, only a little smaller than his, and wondered what he did to deserve this.

But then it clicked. If he was here, alive, back in his own time...

Izuna. His brother could still be here, too. Someone he hadn't thought of for a very, very long time. His little brother, someone he had a second chance to protect, to show the village that had been so empty without him.

He wouldn't make the same mistakes. His dream, his vision for the world had failed. But Hashirama's had lived on, so much longer than he thought it would. He looked into his reflection's dark eyes, and thought for what felt like an eternity.

He could change things, this time around. It didn't hurt to try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!! >.< Time travel is like my fave thing ever with Naruto... but I never finished the series. At ALL. (Wiki is my friend) But this idea wouldn't leave my mind after I read like... a million time travel fics so here I am.  
> Feedback and comments would be cool!! Tell me what you think :0 ♥♥♥


	2. Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mito's a weird one, but she's not bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's an update! ♥

They called it amnesia.

Madara knew better, though. As someone who had the ability to manipulate spacetime with just his eyes, Madara knew this was very real.

Mito, a younger one than he was used to, clung to him after the news.

She stayed with him as the current Uzumaki leader, Ashina, if he remembered correctly, 're-taught' him seals. As an Uchiha, if only in mind, Madara could memorize countless strokes and rules to sealing, but not all. The redheaded woman reviewed with him, when she wasn't studying up on leading the clan. He was told that apparently, he didn't want the role as heir and Mito was excited to have it. Honestly, thinking back on how much paperwork he had, he could see why he didn't want it in this world, either. 

Mito was so warm, too bright to lead, to be the princess that she was, similar to a certain man.

But looking at himself, Madara knew he wasn't role model material, himself.

"Aniki," she called him. A brother.

Did she even have siblings in his time? Madara didn't think so. But then again, he didn't remember her all that well in the first place aside from her red hair and her future status as a jinchuriki and Hashirama's wife. And here they were, brother and sister. Madara wanted to block her out, to keep her at a distance, but she tore her way past his barriers recklessly. 

Bright, loving Izuna was so curious and mischievous and strong. Her foxy smiles had only reminded him of what he needed to do at first.

( _She was not his sister, he'd thought._

_She could never be his sister, not when his real family (and perhaps, himself, in this weird version of his original world) was only a distance away and Madara still had this chance to save his brother._

_In body, he might've been Madara Uzumaki, but in mind, in spirit, he would always be Madara Uchiha._

_Even if the blood rang true, even if he shared that blood red hair, she just wasn't his sister, no matter how much she tried. He just wished she'd stop trying so hard._ )

But Mito... Mito was different, too.

She never left him alone. She looked at him like he was something to protect. She looked at him like an older brother, with aspiring eyes and it was something he thought he had forgotten. She seemed to be able to read his mind. It made him feel vulnerable, weak, and a little something else. It was scary, but he felt an odd longing for it in his chest.

"Watch this, Aniki. This seal can explode!" she giggled over the table with several scrolls laid out on it.

She... could be family.

"Don't stick your face in it, then, idiot!" he reprimanded her, shoving her face away from the arrays. She only laughed, adding another symbol to the patterns. (He swore, all Uzumaki were crazy. He hoped it was just the one, that blonde brat, but he was wrong. It was all of them.)

She was not Uchiha, not with those smiles, that hair, that water chakra, there was just no way.

But maybe he could call her... sister, even if she wasn't an Uchiha.

From what Madara knew, Mito had died at an old age, content for the most part with her life. Maybe, he could ensure that Hashirama grew old alongside her, but would Mito and Hashirama even marry in this world?

With the way she tore through books on clan history and the insistence of Ashina Uzumaki, probably not.

She'd smiled and smiled and smiled at him, day after day, teaching him how the Uzumaki clan operated, showing him around the clan grounds, sparring and showing him techniques to help him, even when he'd still kept his fire nature.

Madara had gotten used to living again with her help, and he wondered if the warm feeling in his chest was gratefulness.

* * *

 

A messenger dragonfly came in the room and landed on Mito's shoulder. Mito's face switched from joy to grim in a moment, and after unfurling the scroll the summon had, she excused herself and Madara didn't see her for the rest of the day.

He found her later, at night by the beach of the island, after Ashina pointed him in the right direction.

(It drove him crazy, to not feel that familiar fiery chakra all around him in that warmth that's like a blanket, the fire affinities of the Uchiha clan surrounding him. Instead, the chakra around him was cool, slipped through his fingers where it was supposed to dance, froze him where it was supposed to boil.

That was why it was odd, having to sense out her watery chakra in a sea of similar ones to it. It was far easier among the Uchiha, who Madara knew much better.)

She turned to him with red rimmed watery eyes and a tremble to her fingers.

"Aniki... You may not remember her, but Mei-" Mito burst into tears. This was obviously not the first time she'd done so, but the sound of her sobs hurt him all the same, a harsh panging in his chest.

She cried and cried all through the night over the loss of a younger sister Madara had never known in the first place (apparently the last sibling, besides him), and Madara quickly found himself holding her close and whispering words of comfort to her.

(He'd held Izuna just like this, once, when little Kenta had been sent on a mission that he'd never returned from.)

"I'm here, Imouto," he told her.

He needed to get strong, to protect Izuna when the time came.

But, Madara would use this strength to keep his little sister safe, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, this is very fast paced. :0  
> Thanks for reading and for the kudos and comment last chapter!! :3 Hope you liked it and feedback is always appreciated!!  
> Oh yeah and happy 4th if u celebrate that!!


	3. Whispers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madara learns more about the world he's in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many comments!! >.< Thanks everyone!! Hope you like this chapter!

The island was huge, Madara noted. It was bursting with life and people. The air was humid, having so much water around, and as someone who absolutely hated the cold, he thrived in the heat.

Madara hadn't interacted with the Uzumaki too often the first time around. He'd known of their downfall, but Mito and that blonde brat were the only experience he'd had with them.

As he walked through the island with Mito, he passed groups of people who he could feel staring. He really couldn't stand the eyes on his back, even now.

He heard them, whispers among the older members of the clan. That he was everything and nothing like an Uzumaki.

The temper, the flair, the unending chakra.

The Fire of Uzushio. An amazing shinobi.

The silence, the affinity, the eyes.

The Non-Uzumaki, some said. Dangerous.

Madara huffed to himself. The Uzumaki had always been a close-knit clan, similar to the Uchiha, putting family and love above everything. Yet here he was, having done nothing of note, and already he was stared at, endless pairs of eyes drilling into him as he passed by. He wondered if he was doomed to be the outcast of whatever clan he was in.

His element was fire, a complete opposite of the affinities of the rest of the clan, taking pride in their water natures to use the seas of the island around them.

He didn't think the whispers would bother him. He'd been alone for so long, and he had been the object of hatred for many for even longer.

But it did, it... hurt him. He thought he'd have grown out of disappointment, but it only hurt worse to look through seas of red hair only to see eyes staring through him before he'd even acted.

But then, those voices were drowned out. The ones who revered him shut them out, instead finding his strength, his differences wonderful. They admired him, the Uzumaki prince.

(He wasn't... He didn't know how to feel about that. It felt wrong, in a way, to be loved by this clan.)

"Of course they love you, Aniki," Mito said with a sad smile.

He must've said that last part out loud.

And as someone who expected to be shunned out for these differences, it made something twist inside of him, something light and airy that had no right to fester inside of Madara Uchiha.

He watched his sister practically dance through the streets with such a sway to her that it was apparent that she'd done so many times before. He watched the Uzumaki who smiled at him, despite his cold manner of an Uchiha, despite the way things felt like they didn't quite fit together with him, despite the fact that he was different.

(That he was an Uchiha.)

"Ashina-sensei won't wait forever! Hurry it up, Madara!" Mito said, dashing off in a blur into crowds of red. The same red that looked at him like family.

He thought of a blonde brat. Of that dumb term. 'Precious people.'

"Don't rush me!" He chased after her.

Maybe... this was what he'd meant?

* * *

 

Madara asked for information, even when a few Uzumaki looked at him weird.

Luckily, the Uzumaki were close allies with the Senju. It was very easy to learn about their actions, as well as the conflict with the Uchiha. What he wasn't expecting to hear was that the fighting was bad. Based in the age he was, the fighting should've been sluggish, or at least slower and less often as it appeared to be going right now, as he became clan head roughly around this age. But the fighting continued and Madara wondered what was different, what changed.

What made the Senju and Uchiha fight as badly-if not, worse than-as they had during the time of their fathers?

He wanted-no, he needed to know if his brother was okay. What if Izuna was what was different, what if Madara failed him already? What if it was too late?

He listened.

He heard.

Izuna was alive. He was very much alive the way Madara had hoped. He was fighting and alive and things really could be different this time around. He could show Izuna Konoha, when the time came. He could show him the flowers that bloomed in the spring and the academy full of unscarred children and the dango stand that he'd always avoided because it brought back too many painful memories. He could show him everything.

And then he heard.

Izuna Uchiha was alone.

It seemed there was no replacement for him. There was no Madara Uchiha ever existing. There was just Izuna and three younger brothers who had died when they were still children.

Izuna, clan head to the Uchiha, was very much alone, and Madara felt fear for the first time in decades.

If Madara wasn't here, then... Hashirama had never met him, Madara Uchiha. That... actually led to a lot of problems.

Izuna was very loving if their family, and as much as he'd listened to Madara's comments about peace, he'd always held resentment in his heart against the Senju for the loss of life. How could he convince him, with red hair and a foreign face?

And Hashirama may have believed in peace, but without an Uchiha willing to listen...

How could Konoha even be built like this...?

He'd start with Hashirama, who would listen, hopefully. He just hoped the Senju was still the hopeful idiot he was the first time around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. There's no 'Madara Uchiha' in this world, so that means a lot of things. Like... a LOT of things.  
> Thanks for reading, hope it was alright!! >.> Comments, feedback, or any advice is always appreciated!!  
> 


	4. Village

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madara wants a village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! >.< I'm not home rn, but I have wifi so here's an update :3

"I want a village," Madara said one day.

Mito blinked.

Madara was so different, but then there were still times like these when Mito could see the old him so clearly... if that made any sense. Madara was her dear brother. But his odd form of amnesia complicated things a bit.

Their medics couldn't figure out what was wrong, so they had to cope with it. He had to relearn sealing, making her flinch in sympathy for him. Ashina-sensei could be cruel, and the man doubled down on instilling the basics back into him. He forgot names of their advisors and council. He forgot the layout of the clan grounds. He forgot a lot of things.

(He forgot that time they did a mission together. The times they snuck away from sealing practice. He forgot their _sisters_.

But he remembered her, somewhat, and that had to mean _something_.)

But there were things he remembered, things he was even better at, actually. His combat prowess did not go unnoticed.

He'd become so much more in tune with his... everything. His movements grew fluid, that battle fan he'd been  gifted was finally put to use. His fire chakra didn't flare everywhere anymore, it was very controlled. He commanded firmly, and when he spoke he sounds like he expected their shinobi to listen. He knew his history well, too, although there were some things that he messed up every now and then, like he believed it was a fact until someone had to correct him.

Madara's temper was still there, definitely. His smaller mannerisms, like how he'd shift his head to move his hair was the same, or how his brow furrowed whether it be in anger or confusion.

He'd been so confused at first, after they'd activated that seal. He was confused by everything, and while he grew to be somewhat like himself again, she couldn't help but wonder.

...Did he still see her as a sister?

It was one of the things she prefered to ignore.

But if her brother wanted a village, well... she'd help him out. Definitely.

"With clans coming together and children not having to fight."

Ambitious. And there was some of her brother again.

"With the Senju."

The Senju were an ally the Uzumaki had for a while now. It could work out.

"And the Uchiha."

"Wait, what?"

"And the Sarutobi, Shimura, Inuzuka, Yamanaka, Nara, and... Hyuuga," her brother shuddered at the last clan.  
Her brother could be really ambitious.

"Don't forget, Mada-nii. The Uzumaki need you first."

"Hn."

Mito had heard them, the whispers. They were there before Madara's odd case of amnesia. They spoke of him not truly being Uzumaki, despite the fact that his blood didn't lie.

(A small, small part of her agreed that he wasn't supposed to be here. That he was supposed to be somewhere else with his fire jutsu, his blazing eyes, his occasional cold manner. She resented herself for those feelings and threw them away to a place she wouldn't find them again.)

But blood, or not, it didn't matter to her. Madara was her brother, and she loved him dearly. If he wanted a village, Mito would listen and help, no matter how impossible this whole thing sounded.

"Now how do we settle those skirmishes..." Madara trailed off as he headed towards a training ground. Probably to test his fire jutsu before Ashina could drag him off again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading and for commenting! I'm so glad other people like it, even when it's super fast-paced. (I don't have the patience for a full-length time travel fic rn, lmao) Comments, feedback, and advice are always appreciated!! ♥♥♥


	5. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mito has plans. Madara has Mito.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya, here's an update :0

"Don't worry, Madara-nii. We'll make it, and we'll make it ours," Mito told him one night on the beach.

Their village. The words rung familiarly, but coming from Mito they seemed almost new.

He could picture Konoha in his mind, bustling and green. Madara wondered if it would be any different this time around. Maybe there would be more Uzumaki present in the village? Or perhaps there would be no Hokage mountain this time? Or maybe the whole village would be located somewhere else entirely?

Regardless, as long as Izuna was there, happy and healthy and breathing, Madara wouldn't mind. 

It was dark enough that most other Uzumaki kept inside, with only the running of seawater and the occasional buzz of a dragonfly filling the void of noise they left.

Red hair shifted in front of his face and he had to pull it back again. It really was a mess.

"We'll head out soon, to the Senju," Mito hummed softly, tilting her head in his direction.

Where his hair was blood red, deathly and cold, Mito's was flowery red, the same red that painted the sky when the sun set, that lovely red that matched her cheeks and made her eyes sparkle.

He lightly ran a hand through the princess's locks before he got to work braiding it loop by loop. He felt the way Mito's shoulders loosened as she let her head fall back into his lap, eyes closed.

She must've been very busy, not just dealing with their clan, but with setting up arrangements for travel to the Senju, with Madara's plans of a village that must've seemed so sudden when he sprung them on her.

He wondered why Mito would take to his idea so easily, why she would work herself so hard on what could've been a whim of his. A seemingly impossible whim, even, as the idea of villages were unheard of in this time. But then, he would look into Mito's dark eyes and find a warmth saved for what could only be family. 

( _As soon as Madara had told her his plans for the future (well, technically it was the past), she'd hopped on board. It was kind of startling, actually, how easily she decided to help him. At first he'd thought she was underestimating what he was saying, or just humoring him, but then she began on plans. And quickly._

_"Don't worry about it, Aniki. I've got it covered," Mito said as she filled out several scrolls for the both of them._

_"Mito, let me take care of some of that," he offered._

_But Mito only smiled softly and shifted the scrolls closer to herself._

_"It's fine, Aniki. If you think this is possible, then just do what you have to do. I'll help."_ )

It was that glimpse of warmth saved for her only brother, her last sibling, and Madara's doubts were gone.

(He wondered how much of the past Madara he still embodied, for Mito to love him like this.)

"Sensei finally gave in," Mito detailed, "We have three weeks time."

"Hn," Madara hummed back. 

Ashina had been piling more work on her lately. He was almost ready to pass the title of clan head onto her, and it showed in Mito's frazzled hair, in the all-nighters she began to pull, and in the way fellow Uzumaki would bow to her even lower than before as she passed by.

She would make a fine leader.

(She could do what he couldn't.)

"Thank you, Mito," he said, looping a lock of her bright red hair once more.

Madara was okay with being this false prince, (false, because this was wrong, this red hair was wrong, he was wrong-) as long as Mito could always find this happiness in a sibling she was never meant to have.

"Of course, Madara-nii–now let me do yours," Mito made grabby hands towards his hair and Madara couldn't help the wave of fondness for this princess, his sister, as they enjoyed this stolen moment under the moonlight.

(He wondered if Izuna was okay. If he found comfort in someone, anyone, the way he found comfort in his sister and she in him.

He hoped he could be there for Izuna, his dear little brother, soon, too.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're on their way to the Senju now ^^ I know I haven't updated this in a heck of a while, sorry about that :0 Things are gonna pick up from here. And heyy! I think I'm getting back into the swing if things :)  
> Anyways, thanks so much for reading (and keeping up with this fic ^^) it means a lot to me! Any comments, feedback, and stuff are appreciated!! ♥♥♥  
> (Also shoutout to user nindy for telling me to update. I kinda rlly needed that, thank you ^^.)


End file.
